Electric clock.



M. HIGUGHI.

ELECTRIC CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 3, 1903. RENEWED MAR. 17, 1908.

Patented Sept. 15, 1908.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

I/Vi tm 1 50a Q. M4 def/m M. HIGUOHI.

ELECTRIC CLOCK. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 3,1903. RENEWED MAR. 17, 1908.

898,649, Patented Sept. 15, 1908.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

L I m EL 760 1 MMH %i co co gwvawboz Zia/m M. HIGUGHI.

ELECTRIC CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 3, I903 RENEWED MAR.1'I, 1908.

Patented Sept. 15, 1908.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3\ s (BK M. HIGUCHI.

ELECTRIC CLOCK. APPLICATION FILED NOV. a, 1903. RENEWED MAR. 17; 1908.

898,649. Patented Sept. 15, 1908.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4. 3%

' lever to the MONNOSUKE HIGUGHI, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC CLOCK.

Application filed November 8,

To all whom it ma y concern: I

Be it known that I, MONNOSUKE HIGUCHI,

a subject of the Emperor of Japan, and residing in the borough ofManhattan, in the city and State of New tain new and useful Imprbvementsin Electric Qlocks, of which the following is a;specificatron.

My invention relates to electric clocks and more particularly to thatclass of electric clocks actuated by an electric impulse, and myinvention has for its object to provide an electric clock wherein theelectric im ulse is only received when the impulse of the alance wheelweakens.

My invention furthermore has for its object to provide a sim leactuating mechanism, permitting the our and the minute hands of theclock to be turned forward or backwards independently of said mechanism.

Further objects of my invention are to provide many improved details ofstructure whereby the above results are obtained, such details beingclearly shown in the accompanyiug sheets of drawings in which likereference characters refer to like parts, and in which Figure 1 is ageneral outside perspective view of a clock constructed in accordancewithxlmy invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the samewith the side ofthe casing removed. Fig. 3 is a'bottom view of my im roved clock. Fig.4isa eneral inside viewsl iowin a rear elevation of the mechanismembodie in the clock, with'the rear plate removed. Fig. 4 is a plan viewof the-seconds wheel shaft, its worm, the minute and hour wheel drivingshaft and the drivers and clutch mounted thereon. Fig. 5 is a detailview ustrating the attraction of the actuating lever to the electromagnet, and showing the means for communicating motion from saidsecond-wheel. Fig. 6 is a detail view, showing a portion of thestructure shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a detail view,

' showing the balance wheel and the means for throwing theelectro-magnet into circuit upon the weakening of the impulse of thebalance wheel. Figs. 8 and 9 are detail views of a portion of thestructure shown in Fig. 7, showing different positions of the parts. 10is a diagrammatic view showmgthe magnetizing circuit.

eferring now in detail to the drawings: 1 represents the casing of myimproved clock Specification of Letters Patent.

York, have invented cer- 'der the arm 22 and return Patented Sept. 15,1908.

1903, Serial No. 179,661. Renewed March 17, 1908. Serial No. 421,709.

having mounted therein the face 2 carrying the usual dial and hands andhaving in addition thereto the second dial 3 having a hand 3' and thealarm dial 4 having a hand 4.

5 is the front plate of the inner frame of" the clock mechanismconnected to the back plate 6 of said frame by posts 7. Mounted 1n theframe of the clock 1s an arbor 8 upon which is mounted the usual balancewheel 9 and the customary hair spring 10. Pivoted in juxtaposition tothe balance wheel 9 is a bifurcated oscillatory lever 11 held normallyin balanced position by a' coil spring 12 wound on the arbor 13 of saidlever. The lever 11 is provided with a curved outer end 14 adapted toengage a pin or projection 15' carried by the balance wheel 9.

e 16 represents what I term the actuating lever. Lever 16 is pivoted at17 to a portion of the plate 6 and is provided at its lower end with anarmature 18 adapted to be attracted by an electro-magnet 19 when acurrent is thrown through such magnet, (Figs. 4 and 5). The attractionof the armature 18 to the magnet 19 produces an scillation of theactuating lever 16, which lever having a forked upper end 20 engaging apin 21 on the balance wheel 9 produces an im etus to said balance wheelin opposition to t e hair spring 10. Pivoted to the lever 11 is a 22having at its upper end a fpin or projection 23 adapted .to engage one othe pair of contact points 24, one of said points-24 being electricallyconnected to the battery of the clock and the other of said contactpoints being electrically connected to the e ectromagnet 19. (Fig. 10).The contact arm 22 1s face so that during normal oscillations of thebalance wheel 9, the pin. 15 will pass under said arm without enga ingthe same. occurs by reason of the %act, (Figs. 4, 7, 8 and 9), that whenthe pin or the curved end 14 of the ever 11, it forces the leverupwardly carrying the arm 22 therecontact arm This rojectlon 15 strikeswith, said lever being. forced upwardly with sufficient force. to allowthe pin 15 to pass unbefore the descent of the lever 11. If theoscillations of the balance wheel 9 grow weak the pin or pro'ection 15'obviously strikes the'cu'rved end 14' with less force so that the arin22is not carried high enough toescape contact with the said pin 15. -Insuch case pin 15 will strike the lower end of the arm 22 oscillating thesame in opposition to one of the contact points 24 and bri such pointsinto contact to close the circuit through the magnet 19, whereupon thearmature 18 on the actuating lever 16 will be again attracted and .theforegoing operation repeated. Arm 22 is held in its normal positionagainst one of the contact points 24 by a spring 25, 8). The lever 11 isbifurcated to more evenly balance the same in its operation.

26 is what I term the seconds wheel provided with sixty notches andpivoted on a shaft 27 j ournaled in the plates 5 and 6, (Figs. 4 and 5),and hereinafter referred to as the seconds shaft. 28 is .a dog pivotallymounted on the actuating lever 16 and adapted to engage the notches inthe seconds wheel 26. i

29 is a pawl pivoted to the actuating lever 16 and held in engagementwith the notches in the seconds wheel 26 by a spring 30, (Figs;

of the hour wheel 37.

'38 is a pinion also mounted upon the shafte the teeth of the 33 andadapted to enga t thus be seen that minute wheel 38. I

upon the oscillation of the balance wheel 9,

whether the same is being attracted by the Jelectro-magnet 19 or not,motion is communicated through the seconds wheel 26 and shaft 27 to theshaft 33 through worm 31 and worm wheel 32 and the minute wheel and the4 hour wheel thereby rotated. Such gear is so arranged that the hourwheel rotate twice in every twenty-four hours, the minute wheel onceevery hour, and the seconds wheel once every minute.

39 is a shaft journaled in the clock-frame and having at its outer end athumb-wheel 40 without the clock. Shaft 39 extends into the interior ofthe clock mechanism and has at .ts inner end a pinion 41. Shaft 39 isadapted to be drawn outwardly in opposition to aspring 42 intoengagement with a pinion 43 carried by the shaft 33 so that the shaft 33may be rotated in either direction by the shaft 39. In order that theshaft 33 and the minute and hour wheels may be reversed withoutcommunicating motion to the second wheel, I have provided a frict onalconnection between the shaft 33 and the'pinion 32, such connectionconsisting in a clutch member adapted to be forced into engagement by aspring 44.

ee'asae In 10 I have shown'diagrammatically the electric circuitemployed in connection with my improved clock, wherein the contactpieces 24 form a part of the circult through wire 152, theelectro-magnet 19, wire 153, battery 154, and wire l55;

In Figs. 2 and 3'I have shown a convenient arrangement of the battery154 and the clock mechanism within a casing, wherein the casing 1 isdivided'into two sections or compartments separated by a partition 160.In the rear compartment is located the battery 154 being retained insaid compartment by lugs 161 engaging eyes 162, said lugs being lockedin engagement with said eyes by means of spring-pressed pins 163 passingthrough said lugs and eyes. In the forward part of the casing I locatethe clock mechanism hereinbefore described. Any suitable electricconnection may be employed between the said battery and said mechanism,such for instance as that shown in Fig. 10.

I do not wish to be understood as limiting my invention to the exactdetails of structure herein shown, inasmuch as the same may be variedconsiderably Without departing from the spirit of my invention. L

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as newtherein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a clock, the combination with the balance wheel and the hairspring, of an actuating lever for said balance wheel, an electrorfiagnetadapted to attract said lever, circuit closing contact pieceselectrically connected to said magnet, a balance governing lever, acontact arm mounted on said governing lever for closing a circuitthrough said contact pieces, and means on said balance wheel forengaging said contact arm to close a circuit, but adapted when the forceof oscillation of the balance wheel is of suflicient strength to strikesaid governing lever with sufficient force to displace the same andcarry. said contact arm out of the path of engagement.

2. In a clock, the combination with the balance wheel, an electricalmeans for impelling said balance wheel when a circuit is closed, circuitclosing devices, a balanced governing lever, a pivoted contact armmounted on said lever and ada ted when actuated to engage said circuit cosing devices to close a circuit, and means carried bythe balance wheelfor engaging said contact arm to-close a circuit, but adapted when theforce of oscillation of the balance wheel is of sufficient strength tostrike said governing lever with a force sufficient to displace the sameand carry said contact arm out of the path of engagement. Q

3. In a clock, the combination with a balance wheel, means forelectrically impelling said balance wheel, circuit closing contactdevices for controlling an electrica impulse,

arm pivote on said said contact closing arm upon the force of its h blowupon said governing lever. wit one of said circuit closing devices, anda means carried by the balance wheel for strik- 1 T MONNOSUKE HIGUCHIing said governing lever and intermittently Witnessesfl engaging saidcontact closing arm and de- WM. P. HAMMOND, pending for its intermittentengagement with C. VON GRUEBER.

a balanced overning lever, a contact closing ever and in engagement

